By Wilson H.B. No. 59 74R1864 SMH-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to required multicultural course credit at certain public 1-3 institutions of higher education. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 51, Education Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 51.308 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 51.308. MULTICULTURAL COURSES. (a) A general academic 1-8 teaching institution may not grant a baccalaureate degree to a 1-9 student unless the student has received credit for not less than 1-10 three semester hours, or the equivalent, in multicultural courses 1-11 at the institution or, if allowed by the governing board of the 1-12 institution, at another accredited institution of higher education. 1-13 (b) The governing board of a general academic teaching 1-14 institution may adopt rules to grant credit for multicultural 1-15 courses toward other degree requirements at the institution. 1-16 (c) In this section: 1-17 (1) "General academic teaching institution" has the 1-18 meaning assigned by Section 61.003. 1-19 (2) "Multicultural course" means a course that focuses 1-20 either on two or more cultures or on a specific culture within 1-21 United States society. 1-22 SECTION 2. Section 51.308, Education Code, as added by this 1-23 Act, applies only to a student who initially enrolls at a general 1-24 academic teaching institution for the 1995-1996 academic year or 2-1 thereafter. 2-2 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-3 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-4 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-5 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-6 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-7 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-8 passage, and it is so enacted.